Los Angeles, Dec 13 (IANS): Hollywood diva Jennifer Lopez says actor Milo Ventimiglia was her first choice for the character of Trey in "Second Act", and that it was a pleasure to work with him.

In the film, which revolves around the story of Maya, a deserving but undervalued woman, Lopez portrays an ambitious character who gets a chance to prove that street smarts are as good as book smarts in the real world, if not better.

When she was doing a reading of the script, Lopez knew exactly who she would like to play her love interest in the film.

"I only saw Milo Ventimiglia for Trey," the actress said in a statement.

"His face always popped into my mind. He's so busy now with his hit show and probably one of the biggest moments in his career, but he read the script and once we spoke we both knew it was something we wanted to do together.

"An actor like Milo, whose heart and emotions are so wide open to whatever might happen in the moment, is a real pleasure to work with," Lopez added.

Directed by Peter Segal, the film stars Leah Remini, Vanessa Hudgens and Treat Williams.

PVR Pictures will release this film in India on January 4, 2019.